PMBOK GUIDE 7th Edition and the standard for Project Managment

This systems view reflects a shift from the Knowledge Areas in past editions of the PMBOK® Guide

to eight project performance domains. A performance domain is a group of related activities that are

critical for the effective delivery of project outcomes. Collectively, the performance domains represent

a project management system of interactive, interrelated, and interdependent management capabilities

that work in unison to achieve desired project outcomes. As the performance domains interact and react

to each other, change occurs. Project teams continuously review, discuss, adapt, and respond to such

changes with the whole system in mind—not just the specific performance domain in which the change

occurred. Aligned with the concept of a system for value delivery in The Standard for Project Management,

teams evaluate effective performance in each performance domain through outcomes-focused

measures, rather than through adherence to processes or the production of artifacts, plans, etc.

Previous editions of the PMBOK® Guide emphasized the importance of tailoring the project

management approach to the unique characteristics of each project and its context. The Sixth

Edition specifically incorporated considerations to help project teams think about how to tailor their

approach to project management. That content was included in the front matter of each of the

Knowledge Areas and provided considerations for all types of project environments. This edition

further expands upon that work with a dedicated section on Tailoring in the PMBOK® Guide.

A new section on Models, Methods, and Artifacts provides a high-level grouping of models,

methods, and artifacts that support project management. This section maintains linkages to

tools, techniques, and outputs from previous editions that support project management without

prescribing when, how, or which tools teams should use.